Brassiere



April 29, 1952 7 1, o s ETAL 2,594,549

BRASSI'ERE Filed Feb. 16, 1950 3nventors lR/5 FLOR-5'5 JUL/E7 Kill/4RD Inga/L4 6%W (Ittorneg Patented Apr. 29, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BRASSIERE v msrloremna miet Keuaraiioii jwood, caiir. Application-February 1a, 1950', seria1 No.1'44,'.-;9's

2 Claims.

This invention relates to brassiere construction and pertains more particularly to a construction that improves thefitregardless' of variations in the size of the breasts supported thereby, itbeing an object of the present inventiontoprovide a brassiere construction that not only improves the fit but also provides firm supportof the breasts.

Another object of theinve'ntion is to; provide a brassiere embodyingmeans'in'the breast-holding cups thereof thatis s'odispose'd that support of the breasts from the shoulder. straps; or: the brassiere is effected throughout. the entireheig'ht of the cupsto minimize pull atthe top *amisl'ack at the bottom. In other words, instead of supporting the cups only from the top point thereof, as in prior structures, the support is effective down to and including the lower edge of the brassiere. Thus, sag is minimized and the socalled uplift effected.

The invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

Theinvention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description. However, the drawings merely show and the following description merely describes embodiments of the present invention, which are given by way of illustration or example only.

In the drawings, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a brassire according to the present invention, the same being shown as seen from the inner or body-engaging side.

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are enlarged cross-sectional views as taken on the respective lines 2-2, 3-3 and 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an alternate form of filler pad shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The general form of the brassire is quite conventional and may be made as a back-connecting garment as in Fig. 1 or as a garment that is permanently connected at the back and connectable at the front or side. The garment shown comprises inner front portions In that are connected along a middle seam II, and outer front portions 12 that connect along seams [3 to the respective right and left portions 10. The portions H are provided with elongated extensions I4: that extend around the-sidesandiparvoti the back of the wearer;

The inner front portions H] are providediwitti tucks or pleats 15 that gather thesidesthereof adjacent seam ll, thereby imparting. a" cup' like shape tothe upper parts 16 of: portions 10 and to the complementary. parts Hr of portions. [2; said parts I B and: I! formingthebreastesupport! ing cups 48 of the garment.

A tape- 19 binds the lower edge of. thegarment and a similar tape 20bindsitheupper= edge'thereiof. The lower edges of the. cups 18 are defined by arcuate' tapes 2 I.

In the: above structure; the seams. Iie'xtend vertically, or substantially so, from the top to the bottom of the cups and constitute frictioninducing lines tending toward the discomfort of the wearer. Also, since the front of the brassire is supported by shoulder straps 22 from the topmost points 23, the cups [8 tend to elongate due to the counterweight of the breasts. According to the invention, a tape 24 is stitched along each seam 13 on the inside of the garment to enclose the seams. Said tapes are preferably made of a smooth silky material that minimizes friction, thereby smoothing out the inner faces of the cups l8 and contributing to the comfort of the wearer.

Said tapes 24 are stitched to tapes l9 at their lower ends and to tapes 20 adjacent their upper ends to thereby provide non-stretchable yet easily pliable means that interconnects said tapes l9 and 20. In the present case, tapes 24 are each provided with an upper extension 25 which is doubled back at 26 to provide a portion 21 which is stitched to the outer faces of the cups l8 at 28. Thus, there is provided an upwardly extending loop that constitutes an integral extension of each tape 24. A ring 30, strung in each loop 29, effects connection with the respective right and left shoulder straps 22 of the garment.

It will be seen from the above that the pull is transmitted by tapes 24 to the bottom edge of the garment so that the shape of the cups is maintained because unequal pull and sag are minimized. Accordingly, the fit of the garment is improved and uplift support of the breasts properly effected.

The tapes 24 have the additional function of mounting filler pads 3| that afford firmness at the nipple-housing portions of the cups in instances where the breasts do not fully extend thereinto. Such pads simply comprise a wad of fiacculent material 32 enclosed by circular or oval-shaped pieces of material 33. As in Fig. 2,

said pieces of material may be coextensive or, as in Fig. 5, one may be larger in diameter than the other to minimize bulkiness. Fig. 1 shows such a filler pad in place in the left cup l8, snap fasteners 34 being provided to effect separable connection of the pads to tapes 24.

It will be evident that tapes 24 have a fourfold function-to cover seams l3 and thereby minimize friction, to improve the fit and support of the garment, to constitute the mounting means for filler pads 31, and to afford means effecting connection with shoulder straps 22.

While the invention that has been illustrated and described is now regarded as the preferred embodiments, the construction is, of course, subject to modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore not desired to restrict the invention to the particular forms of construction illustrated and described, but to cover all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A shoulder-strap-supported brassird'comprising centrally disposed front portions connected'by a seam at the middle front of the brass'ire, laterally disposed front portions connected to the respective centrally disposed front portions at generally vertical seams on each side the inner face of the lower edge of the four mentioned portions, the portions connected by the vertical seams constituting breast-supporting cups, a silken and non-stretchable frictionminimizing tape stitched to the inner face of each cup and covering the vertical seam between the central and lateral portion comprising each said cup, stitching connecting the lower end of each silken tape to the binding tape, an integral loop provided on the upper end of each silken tape and said loops extending beyond the upper edges of the cups, and shoulder straps connecting the loops and the mentioned side and back extensions, said shoulder straps and non-stretchable silken tapes, thereby, constituting support means for the brassire that extend from the binding tape at the lower edge of the brassiere.

2. A brassire according to claim 1': snap fasteners on the silken tapes, and filler pads within the cups and separably connected to the fasteners on the silken tapes.

IRIS FLORES. JULIET KELLARD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

, UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,963,373 Nelson June 19, 1934 2,249,296 Livingston July 15, 1941 2,340,332 Laifoon Feb. 1, 1944 2,420,472 Friedman May 13, 1947 2,505,458 Brauer Anr. 25. 1950 

